An Invitation
by WyseInk
Summary: JJ has plans for his day off. Posted for JJStyleWeek (Day 2: Favorite Ship). Please don't copy, plagiarize, or repost any portion of this work. AO3 info can be found on my profile page.


Isabella had received the text shortly after breakfast. It wasn't uncommon for Nathalie to text her asking for this kind of favor, especially after a major competition or when she and Alain were looking after one of their other skaters. Nor did Isabella mind it in the least. In some ways, she liked being the one to look after JJ on the days when he wouldn't take proper care of himself. Or at least, she thought as she unlocked the door to his apartment, to check in on him.

It'd been evident even before they'd begun dating that JJ had no idea what to do with his time off. Ever since he'd been a child, he'd constantly been moving, going from skating, to music, to cramming a full day's worth of studies in between. Paired with his already ambitious nature, this rigorous upbringing and lifestyle had paid off–at nineteen, JJ already had two extremely successful careers and showed no sign of slowing down in either. But there were times, Isabella thought as she pushed open his door, when he needed to.

"JJ?" She stepped into his apartment, taking in his jacket slung over the back of the couch and empty water bottle on the coffee table. His apartment was always a little messy no matter how hard he tried to keep it organized. His idea of tidy and hers were two very different things, and while she acknowledged the effort, it was always a bit difficult to keep a straight face when she'd witnessed his attempts. She called his name again.

"Studio," came his voice from the other room.

While the apartment wasn't particularly big, he'd managed to fashion one room into a multi-purpose one for small music projects and practice. He tended to spend his rare moments at home there, and it was where Isabella found him again, lying on a yoga mat facing away from her and pulling his knee against his chest. He tilted his head back and watched her as she entered.

"You know you're supposed to be resting," she said, crouching down beside him.

"I am," he insisted, switching to his other leg. He held it there for a minute before setting it down.

Isabella sighed. "Your version or actual resting?"

"Both," he smirked. "So you can tell Mom I did exactly what she said to do."

"I came here on my own, you know."

"I know." He watched her for a minute, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. Without warning, he turned on his side and grabbed her, pulling her down with him.

"Jean!" she yelped as she landed on the mat facing him. She watched him as he stared at her, an ornery gleam in his eyes and that big, self-assured, goofy smile she loved so much crossing his face. Not for the first time, she found herself getting lost in both. There was something strangely private about the way he looked at her sometimes, whether it was just the two of them or in front of millions of his adoring fans. She hadn't admitted it to herself at first, that there might be a look reserved just for her. Yet over time it'd become more frequent, things had begun to change between them, and later…

She inched closer and kissed him, vaguely aware of the way he brought her ring hand to his chest. He traced the diamond gently with his thumb and pulled away, a softer smile crossing his face than before.

"I knew you couldn't resist," he teased.

"You started it."

"And I'm going to continue. I'm taking you on a date tonight."

"Oh, are you?"

"Yep." He sat up then, resting on his arm and turning to look down at her. "Day off, remember?"

Isabella reached out slowly, tracing the outline of the tattoo on his supporting arm. She wondered if he knew she could do it by memory, even the small, cursive font in a perfect imitation. It was just one of the ways she knew him better than anyone, and she wouldn't trade it for the world. A small smile crossed her face as she realized he was still waiting for her answer. Her answer. Her JJ. She left him waiting a minute longer before she finally spoke again.

"I suppose that counts."


End file.
